Max audio routing in ableton uses tonnes of CPU!
Hi,
I've been trying to work with the audio routings in max for live here https://cycling74.com/articles/audio-routings-a-new-system-for-multi-channel-routing-in-ableton-live
And im noticing massive amounts of CPU being used, when just 3 devices are routing audio. Each of these devices has 4 routes set up and switching between them. This uses something between 50-60% of CPU.
Im wondering is this normal? I do have the buffer size set quite low to 64 samples, im guessing thats what it is, shame cant have a low buffer though.
Seems quite high, but could vary based on your system's configuration.
1) Are there other "expensive" CPU devices/plugins on any of the input/output tracks being routed?
2) Does the CPU usage change when the routing configurations change?
Thanks for the response Tyler,
Yes it is strange. I have Buffer on 64 (even up to 128 is much the same.
And then I have just a handful of devices maybe 10 either grabbing or sending audio, just 4 tracks at a time.
I'm using a surface book 2 i7 which is reasonably fast machine.
Interestingly I have 3 different ways of testing:
1) RME babyface direct ASIO - 75% crackling
2) Realtek onboard sound going through ASIO4ALL - 75% crackling
3) RME babyface going through ASIO4ALL - 35% no crackling.
I guess Im happy with this, however, It's a really strange/hard problem to get to the bottom of and I'm concerned that the RME driver isnt working as it should.
When the battery is not being charged I is the lowest can get 35%, but if I take out the charger and run on battery it is spiking all over the place from 30-110%. I really have hardly anything going on in the set. Ive tried all the different settings in Throttlestop.
Update: sorry I was wrong, the ASIO4ALL Baby face connection wasnt running at 64 samples buffer.
So basically it seems I have a general problem with audio routing, where just having say 10 devices in the set and moving audio around, it goes up to 110% mostly at 80%
So that's 10 devices, each with 4 audio channels routed. So around 40 routes in total. And only one being used/sending audio in each.
It seems strange such a limitation.
Well, for question (2) I was trying not to lead any particular way but I'll make it more explicit:
Are the 4 instances of routing all routing among each other? e.g.:
A -> B, C and D
B -> A, C and D
etc.
I think that would put all the processing of all of those tracks onto a single core, which would drive the CPU meter up. Whereas if the settings were more like:
A -> E, F, G
B -> H, I, J
etc.
I suspect that you would not have the same CPU issues.